Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to illuminated exercise devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronically powered exercise mat having a light source to provide lighting for exercise and entertainment.
Description of Prior Art
The concept of a mat or pad has been around for ages. People have always wanted to use intermediate surfaces between themselves and the ground, both as a way to keep themselves or certain objects clean, as well as to protect from impact and make the surface more comfortable. With the rise of exercise, yoga mats and exercise mats were created to address this function and allow users to participate in activities which normally would be more painful, difficult and dirty if performed directly on the ground. With the invention of different types of flexible and soft materials, several different types of mats have evolved. Rubber, flexible plastic, foam, and even certain types of wood and other materials exist which people have formed into many sizes and shapes of mats. Common materials are known as NBR, TPE, PVC, or jute and may be made in various combinations of different materials as well as in a wide variety of size and thickness. They are also currently produced with various textures, logos, and other customizations. The typical use for these mats today is for exercise, such as yoga, or for lining gym floors to protect from heavy weights dropping.
In one known case, a mat was created with a full LED screen on top of the mat to instruct a user where to stand or place their hands for guiding exercise. However, this mat did not serve the purpose of providing comfort as the surface is hard, and it did not serve the purpose of being easily portable as it is heavy and requires significant energy usage, needing an AC outlet or significant battery. It's primary purpose is also an instructional tool offering little to no visual entertainment. It also would be quite expensive, and has not been made available for sale.
There are currently no mats available which are designed for portable use at night (other than mats which are affixed and used as a permanent floor) where a user could take the mat to an area with no lights, and have the mat provide the area light and experience enhancement. This is also true for various other activities for which a mat could be used, such as picnics at night, or for camping and as a sleeping mat in a tent. LED blankets exist, which serve the purpose of protecting the user from direct contact with the ground, and also serve to keep the user warm, but these blankets are not able to absorb any impact, and cannot serve to flatten and stabilize a surface to allow for activities such as yoga. Blankets are also made of comfortable materials such as cotton, which immediately pick up the dirt and bacteria from the ground and from the user and must be cleaned regularly. They are not made of the plastic and/or rubber materials of the yoga mat which are able to resist bacteria and only need the surface to be wiped for cleaning.
LED light strips, microcontrollers, remote controls and portable batteries have existed for several years. It is quite common for these items to be purchased together as a package and applied for any number of various uses, such as home lighting or lighting under vehicles. These LED light strips typically come with pre-programmed controllers, with or without remote controls, which have very standardized and common functions. Users can usually select any color, can adjust the brightness or the mode. There are a large number of different modes available, but they all do the same thing: flash or fade between different colors. For example, a user could select a program which cycles between three different colors, or seven different colors. They might also select a strobe function which only flashes one color. The user can usually adjust the speed slightly up or down. However, there is currently no product available which allows the user to select the specific time period which occurs between the color change effects. The timing is preset and can only move very slightly up or down, on the magnitude of mili-seconds. There are no products which allow the user to select an option to change the color every 30 seconds, for example, to time a yoga exercise, breathing or musical performance.
Additionally, backpacks are not a novel idea and have been around for ages. There are hundreds of available bags and back packs which are used to carry items and rest on the users back or shoulder. This causes a problem for a user who wants to carry a yoga or exercise mat, but is also wearing exercise attire which generally consists of little or no pockets. Users often carry several items, such as a wallet, keys, and a phone, but are forced to carry them in their hands or in a separate bag. Usually the user will have to leave their items on the ground next to the mat, where they could be damaged or lost. There are currently no exercise, camping, or other types of portable mats which also provide containers for carrying items, nor which have built in straps for carrying over both shoulders like a backpack.